Expert: Apple’s HDTV Will Have A Retina Display

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But it won't have any more pixels than your existing set.
But it won't have any more pixels than your existing set.

Having been spoiled by Retina displays since the iPhone 4 was launched back in 2010, it’s slightly disappointing when Apple releases a new product that doesn’t have one these days. But there won’t be any disappointment with the upcoming Apple HDTV, according to one expert.

DisplayMate CEO Dr. Ray Soneira firmly believes that the Cupertino company’s much-anticipated set will feature a Retina display, just like all “premium” Apple products in the future. Not just because it’s incredible technology, but also because Apple wants to be consistent.

Apple won’t boast about its pixel density, Soneira says, but instead it will choose to focus on its color consistency and accuracy to match its existing lineup of iOS devices, all of which now have high-resolution Retina displays (apart from the iPad 2).

Why does Apple need to introduce its own Apple Television with an actual TV screen as opposed to just relying on an Apple TV streaming box connected to some other brand of TV? Because all existing TVs produce inaccurate and inconsistent colors and images that will be poor matches to Apple’s own iPhones and iPads. Photo sharing is especially important and convenient on WiFi and internet connected TVs.

Consumers will love the fact that everything including their personal photos, TV shows, movies, and videos will all look exactly the same on all Apple devices.

Soneira makes a very good point. After using an iPhone 4 for as little as a minute, you can never look at an iPhone 3GS display in the same way again. The same goes when you compare the new iPad to the iPad 2. Now that Apple has treated us to Retina displays, it’s difficult to enjoy regular displays.

And Apple will know as well as anybody that when we spend thousands on its new TV set, we don’t want to get it home and be disappointed because it looks no different to our old HD set, and disappointing when compared to our iPad.

That doesn’t mean, however, that the set will have significantly more pixels than an existing 1080p set. In fact, it will only boast the same resolution, as Soneira told CNET:

There is tremendous confusion (from consumers to Wall Street analysts) as to exactly what a “Retina Display” is in terms of resolution and Pixels Per Inch. Some analysts are saying that an Apple Retina Display Television is years away because the display technology won’t be ready for years. That is simply not true… Existing 1920×1080 HDTVs are already “Retina Displays” in terms of visual sharpness at typical viewing distances.

So, when Apple launches its own Apple Television it will almost certainly have a resolution of 1920×1080 and it will be a True Retina Display Television. The timing of an Apple Television will be up to Apple, but the display technology is already here.

So Apple’s new set may have the same resolution as your existing HDTV, but you can bet it will look a whole lot better.

Source: DisplayMate

Via: CNET

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